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Translated by Frederick Crombie.
Origen Resources OnLine & in Print
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This Part: 128 Pages
Page 67
19. Besides these, there is the passage, "Both to will and to do are of God." [2492] And some assert that, if to will be of God, and to do be of God, and if, whether we will evil or do evil, these (movements) come to us from God, then, if so, we are not possessed of free-will. But again, on the other hand, when we will better things, and do things that are more excellent, [2493] seeing that willing and doing are from God, it is not we who have done the more excellent things, but we only appeared (to perform them), while it was God that bestowed them; [2494] so that even in this respect we do not possess free-will. Now to this we have to answer, that the language of the apostle does not assert that to will evil is of God, or to will good is of Him (and similarly with respect to doing better and worse); but that to will in a general [2495] way, and to run in a general way, (are from Him). For as we have from God (the property) of being living things and human beings, so also have we that of willing generally, and, so to speak, of motion in general. And as, possessing (the property) of life and of motion, and of moving, e.g., these members, the hands or the feet, we could not rightly say [2496] that we had from God this species of motion, [2497] whereby we moved to strike, or destroy, or take away another's goods, but that we had received from Him simply the generic [2498] power of motion, which we employed to better or worse purposes; so we have obtained from God (the power) of acting, in respect of our being living things, and (the power) to will from the Creator [2499] while we employ the power of will, as well as that of action, for the noblest objects, or the opposite.
[2492] Cf. Phil. ii. 13.
[2493] ta diapheronta.
[2494] hemeis men edoxamen, ho de Theos tauta edoresato.
[2495] to katholou thelein.
[2496] eulogos.
[2497] to eidikon tode.
[2498] to men genikon, to kineisthai.
[2499] demiourgou.
Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/fathers/origen/principiis.asp?pg=67
